Waiting
by TheGreenArrow
Summary: After Third Impact, Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Misato live on......at least the Children do. This is a story of their lives after Third Impact.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi this is my first NGE fic, hope you enjoy, please review. **

**This story is set after Third Impact, the way I see it, most of the people in the governments, UN, and other organizations would come back from LCL form quickly, wanting to live because they believed in what they were doing. So that's that. **

**Please review, questions, comments, and critique, whatever.**

**Neon Genesis Evangelion is not owned by me, it is owned by Gainax etc.**

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**6 months after Third Impact, much that once was and many who once were have been restored…….**

"SHINJI!... They found her! ……The UN! …..They found Misato!" The Second Child ran into the UN shelter that they had been occupying since Third Impact.

"WHAT? WHERE? COME ON ASUKA TELL ME!!" The Third Child asked frantically.

"They're taking her to the Aid Station, come on! There's a UN caravan on their way there, we can hitch a ride with them"

The Children ran out and climbed into the awaiting truck, their bodies tense in the anticipation of seeing their guardian.

Minutes after they had arrived they'd been escorted to Misato's room.

"…she seems to be in a coma, though like all of the other survivors she was bandaged for her superficial wounds, we can't seem to find anything neurologically wrong with her…..she's stable and in overall good condition, we're just waiting for her to wake up." The doctor droned on about her condition but only three words rang in Shinji's mind.

'Coma……stable…waiting' The young boy was deep in thought.

"How long do you think it's going to take for her to wake up?" Asuka verbalized what Shinji was thinking.

"You can never tell with comatose patients, it could be days, weeks….even years……if it's longer than a year we recommend cryostasis, that way her body will be preserved and kept at the same age, while her mind heals."

'Cryostasis……..'

"Is there anything we can do to speed up her recovery?" Shinji asked softly

"Research has shown that talking to a comatose patient keeps them in-touch with reality and with memories. So I would recommend doing so." The doctor said and excused himself to see his other patients.

"……..the UN is going to cover all of the bills……….its the least they can do I suppose" Asuka said as she stared at Misato through the glass.

"I …..I guess we should go in and sit with her." Shinji said and slowly walked into the room.

"Yeah…..sit with her……Göt ….I hate waiting" Asuka grumbled and walked into the room right after Shinji.

They sat next to Misato's bed in two chairs, not knowing what to say…..and yet knowing that they should say something.

"Hey Misato! Wake up soon me and the Baka will be waiting for you when you feel like gracing us with your consciousness…….we'll be right here, so hurry up" Asuka said, starting out loud and boisterous, the typical Asuka, and then ended soft and gentle, the not so typical Asuka. She placed her hand gently on Misato's forearm. Willing her awake.

"….Misato-san…..it's me Shinji……please wake up soon…….I….we miss you" Shinji said in his oh-so calm way. He placed his hand over hers.

"It'll get easier to talk to her kids, don't worry, she's gonna be just fine" The nurse that had just walked in spoke to them confidently. She was pretty, early 20's, long black hair, blue eyes and a kind smile.

"I'm Kagome, and I'll be taking care of Katsuragi-san for the duration of her stay here, but who's taking care of you?" She said gently, pulling up a chair. She always had a soft spot for kids.

"We're staying at the UN shelter until our apartment complex is finished being built, they said it should be another few weeks, the complex is close to the hospital here, so that'll be nice" Asuka said, wary of this new face, she seemed nice enough, but this was Asuka's only family we're talking about, so she could never be too careful.

"Wow you must have some oomph with the UN if you get to move into the apartments. How's the condition of the shelter you're staying in right now?" Kagome asked curiously,

'The way that these two kids had been toted around, you'd think that they were the Prime Minister's kids or something' she thought to herself

"The shelter is nice….. well nice for what it is, I can't wait to get into the apartments though, where do you live?" Asuka questioned the nurse

"Thankfully my apartment buildings weren't heavily damaged, so they just checked the foundation and gave us the ok to live in it, you know I have an extra room if you kids want to stay with me, I'm sure the an apartment would be better for you guys, I've seen some of those shelters…..they're not very homey."

Asuka and Shinji turned to each other to have a private conversation…

"What do you think of this woman? Barging in and making offers?" Asuka said in a hushed voice

"She seems nice enough to me, she just wants to help us out until our apartment is ready. I think we should accept her invitation" Shinji said in an equally hushed voice

"Yeah…..me too……but you better not do anything hentai to her or I'll hit you so hard, your knot will have a knot"

The Children turned back to Kagome….

"We accept."

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**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. **

**I'm already working on the next chapter, but reviews would speed it along as well.**

**Did you catch the reference to another anime? If you did message me the answer, the first one who does gets a preview of the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So…..one sided conversation, are fun to write. Enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW.**

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**1 year and 6 months after Third Impact, much that once was, still is………**

_(Cryostasis Client Katsuragi Misato, in full hibernation, vitals are stable, all is well)_ The robotic voice rang out.

Shinji and Asuka watched as Misato's still form, clad in a white…..well…in all honesty it was pretty much a plug suit, she was encased in a glass tube shaped case, tubes going in and out of it, providing her support, providing her life. She hadn't aged a bit in the past year, she hadn't moved a bit in the last year either.

But both of the former pilots clung on to hope, they would never give up on her, just like she never gave up on them.

'1 year……….' Shinji and Asuka couldn't believe it had been a whole year since the day they found their guardian.

Moving in with Kagome was weird, but necessary, at least they didn't have to stay in the shelter anymore, but eventually, Kagome met a guy and moved away. There were no harsh feelings; it was just time to move on. At the age of 16 they were both legal adults in the province of Japan, the UN still provided for them, at least until they had a steady career. Many higher ups in the Council were very appreciative of the sacrifices that the Children had made in defense of the world, and would stop at nothing to make their new lives easier.

Both of the Children had advanced significantly academically speaking, they had finished the rest of their junior high and high school tutelage in that one year. Well it was more like, the UN saying that since they were former Eva pilots, they'd had enough mandatory learning and education for an entire lifetime, especially since the school that they were placed in was an advanced specialty school anyway. They had the opportunity to go to the best university, courtesy of the UN, which by now had become the new temporary government in most countries of the world, since a lot of people hadn't returned yet, the UN was also solely in charge of Japan completely.

Everyday Shinji would come and visit Misato, he'd sit with her, sometimes he would talk, and sometimes he would just sit, and think and remember and wait.

It was all he could do to cope, for the first 4 months of that year he had 'moped' as Asuka called it.

Asuka finally had enough of his moping one day and had it out with him……….

"Baka Shinji! Do you think this is what Misato would have wanted? For you to waste your life away, by doing nothing? Misato is going to wake up eventually, and she's gonna be disappointed if she sees you moping and doing nothing! We have to keep on living! If we don't, then Misato might as well have never come back. It would be a waste for her to come back to a moping family, and I for one am going to make something of myself. We're no longer who we used to be, we don't pilot Evas, we don't fight anything anymore. We need to find out who we are, what we believe in, and what we want to do for the rest of our lives. We HAVE to, because that's what Misato would want. I don't know about you Baka, but I'm going back to life" She left him with that to think about….

Motivational yes?

After Asuka's monologue that day Shinji had gone to see Misato…..

"Asuka told me today…..she told me to find myself…….and that you would be disappointed with me if you knew that I'd been moping about doing nothing with my life…….I ….I know she's right……when you wake up Misato-san…I…I want to know who I am…..I want to be who I want to be…….so I'm going to start now…….I'll still come see you maybe not everyday, but as much as I can…….I just…. I can't just sit around anymore…….I want you to wake up and be proud of the ….of the man that I've become. I promise Misato-san, I promise to be more than I've ever been"

**The following years worth of words spoken to the comatose Misato, sounded something like this for Shinji…..**

"Misato- san they found the others!! Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Ibuki-san, Hyuuga-san, Aoba-san, and Commander Fuyutsuki, but Ritsuko-san and the Commander….my Father, there's no sign of them. I guess they did find Rei, or what she is now I guess…..the UN is holding her until they decide that she's safe for society, I hope they let her out soon….at least I get to see her once in awhile though. I'm not quite as lonely as I once was,…...but I still miss you"

"Com….Fuyutsuki-san has kinda become like a father to me…..it's kinda weird, but I appreciate his efforts, its just……..it's a new feeling ya know? I mean I know that you were always there for me….but its different….cuz he's a guy…..so we can talk about guy things…….it was awkward at first, but now I feel like I can tell him anything……I'm really glad that I have someone like that who talks back……please wake up Misato. I need you too."

"It's my 20th birthday Misato-san, I just wanted to come say hi, maybe you can wake up and go party with the rest of us…..no……..ok…..maybe next time….I'll see ya later"

"UGH Misato-san I have the worst headache, I don't know how you could ever drink so much, Toji kept egging me on until I was so drunk I couldn't walk straight, it was a fun, it was kinda weird because all of the old staff from NERV came too, but everyone loosened up and everything was fine, especially after Asuka got drunk, cuz then she started to kiss everyone, even Fuyutsuki-san that was hilarious, his face got really red, Toji and Kensuke got kissed too. It was so funny! She kissed the girl that were there too Hikari blushed and pushed her away just like Ibuki-san, and Rei just laughed, oh yeah I forgot to tell you that the UN said Rei was no threat to society, even they put some sort of bracelet on her just to be safe though, she doesn't seem to mind but because she's mostly Angel they wanted to be careful. Rei's been doing really well though, she's not so in-human anymore, she's really loosened up, she's staying with me, and Asuka, so the old team's almost all back together. I think you'd like the new Rei……I miss you Misato-san, come back to us soon"

"Misato-san! I got accepted to Julliard! I get to go to American! Fuyutsuki-san was really proud. I'm excited……but I'm scared, I'll come see you every break though …..….I promise to see you soon.."

"Misato-san…...I….I have a girlfriend now…..her name is Mana…..I think you'd like her…..I really do……but I still miss you."

"I'm Majoring in Music Theory Misato-san…….my teacher says that I'm one of her best cellists. I don't know what I want to do; I just know that I want to do something in music"

"Misato-san remember that girl I was telling you about a few months ago……well…..I guess it isn't working out…….she thinks I'm weird for constantly coming to see you, but I don't care, your more important to me than she is."

"Misato-san, this famous rock band wants me to play cello for them on their album. Who would have thought that I'd be in a rock band…….I don't want to go on tour with them though……..maybe I'll just record with them...I really miss you Misato"

"I'm back! Did you miss me? Of course you did, I moved back to Japan, I'm in an apartment right down the street from here. So I'll be seeing you more often. I kinda grew my hair out, it's not really long…..it's just shaggy, the band said that I looked cooler with it and I don't mind it either, I hope you like the way it looks when you wake up. I'm recording a new solo album….I hope it sells well, I dedicated it to you, I brought my cello so I'll just play some of it for you,….just listen ok…..and if you feel like it…….wake up.."

"I think I really screwed things up this time Misato-san……me and Asuka……we kinda……UGH why am I telling you this……maybe if I tell you you'll wake up and hit me upside the head…..I wish you would…..maybe you will, so I'm gonna tell you……….I slept with Asuka last night……..it was really great, remember that confession I told you last time…….well we tried to see if a relationship between us would work….but it doesn't seem to…..I mean…..blush physically it works great, but…….we want different things in life. I love her and I always will but I guess it's time to move on……..I miss you Misato-san please wake up….."

"Me and Asuka are still good friends, thank God, it's almost like it never happened, but…..in a good way, because she doesn't just hit me anymore, sometimes she hugs me or gives me a friendly kiss on the cheek. I think I like this sort of relationship, it's just a good friendship now, and I'm really grateful for that."

"God I'm such a fucking screw up Misato…….me and Rei we were drunk….and things happened and we ended up sleeping with each other……it was nice, but…….I just don't know if it was a mistake or not…..I guess I'll have to sort it all out. Oh yeah my album is the second place in the entire Eastern World, and I think it's making its way over to the Western World too. That's how they've sectioned the world off now, ya know. All of Asia, even the little islands are now called Eastern World and the Americas and all of Europe are the Western World and Africa and the Middle-eastern worlds are Mid World. It seems a lot simpler that way; the UN is still the administrative government though in Japan. It seems to be working really well……Asuka is working for them now………."

"Who'd of thought that sleeping with my two closest friends would make our friendship better, weird. But yeah there is definitely no 'me and Rei'. We're definitely just friends, but better friends. I don't think I'll ever find a girl I can settle down with, I'm getting old Misato….I'm 30 now, wake up and maybe I'll sleep with you, and our relationship will be better. Hehe, just kidding, but I'm going to America for a few weeks to do some recording with this other band, I'll be back soon ok! Maybe you'll be awake and we can crack a Yebusi, well a regular Yebisu for you and a Premium Black Yebisu for me, they just came out with that kind, it's the best, I hope you can have one with me soon. I love you Misato."

**The following years worth of words spoken to the comatose Misato, sounded something like this for Asuka…..**

"I yelled at Baka Shinji today, I told him to get off his ass and start living, Mein Got, I don't know how you did it Misato……it's hard, we're not all alone now, I'm sure he's told you about the others, it's nice to have other friends…..but…I…WE all miss you."

"Fuyutsuki's been hanging out with us a lot, he's kinda old, but he's a nice guy, it's nice to know that someone is still watching out for us…..but…..that's what your supposed to be doing….so wake up damnit!"

"I guess I went a little crazy at the Baka's party, I don't even remember what happened, but now every time I go near anyone they start blushing, I don't know what the hells wrong with them. Gott in Himmel I think they're just all nuts. Rei's living with us now, she's actually not that bad, I mean……we're not best friends or anything….but we're……friends. Just wake up ok? It's not the same craziness without you."

"Baka's going to America, and I'm staying here….I'm accepting a position with the UN, I already have a university degree and I don't really feel like going to even more school so, I'm starting in as First Lieutenant Asuka Sohryu Langley, Assistant Commander of Operations. They've been bugging me to join for awhile……I mean of course they want me. I am after all The Great Asuka Sohryu Langley. Who wouldn't want me? I expect to be running the place in a year or two…..maybe I'll become a Major like you. Please wake up Misato"

"Shinji's dating some skank!! Can you believe him? You'd think he'd be smarter than to date a tramp like her, what kind of a name is MANA anyway? Wake up so you can set him straight"

"Danke Gott he finally grew a brain and dumped the tramp. She was bitching at him about how he comes back to see you, what a cold-hearted wench, I'd like to get my hands on her…….you probably would too….so wake up."

"I got promoted!! I'm Captain Asuka Sohryu Langley now! I worked damn hard for it too! So Shinji's gonna be some sort of rock star, who'd of thought that quiet little Shinji would be in a band, a pretty good band too, using classical instruments in rock music has been quite the trend lately. Shinji's changed too, for the better I guess, he's not so quiet anymore, he's definitely grown a spine, last week on the phone I was talking to him about this idiot who keeps asking me out and he said 'I'll come over there and kick his ass for you Asuka' definitely not the old Shinji talking that's for sure, he's……we've both grown up, I hope you like how we turned out, how everything's turned out. I think you'd like the structure of our new government Misato. They're motto is Protect, Provide, Preserve. Wake up so you can appreciate it and us."

"Verdamnt I don't know what I was thinking! We were just sitting there and somehow we had sex…….me and Shinji!! I……ok yeah I was expecting it, maybe even wanted it, but now…..it's just weird……..things are kind of awkward now…….are we friends, are we dating, what are we? Gott Misato I could really use some girl talk right about now. His body is definitely to die for, he used to be all scrawny, but I guess using his arms to play the cello really toned him, and he's not all that bad in the sack either……..I wonder where he learned……oh no! The skank……I'd better not get any STDs, I gotta run and get tested, wake up soon Misato so you can kick his ass just in case I can't. Oh and another thing I got this hair cut, and Shinji said it looks exactly like Mana's hair cut, so he showed me a picture of her and IT DOES! I was so pissed. GAH. Whatever I like the way it looks, it's easier to manage so who cares, she's gone so my hair is staying the way it is.."

"Good news I don't have any STDs, better news me and the Baka are still friends, we tried giving the whole relationship thing a try, but it was just too….weird. I'm ok with it he's ok with it, I think it's actually improved our friendship. He's like the best friend I never had…..maybe he's the GAY best friend I never had……no……definitely NOT gay. Wake up soon, I could still use some girl talk, Rei will talk, but she's still a little new in the whole guy department"

"I'm pretty sure Shinji slept with Rei…..I'm not positive but you can cut the tension in the apartment with a knife. Meh it'll probably just end up like me and Shinji, I'm never going to find the right guy…….there's just no one my age that I could picture myself with……..I'm 30 now……and I want kids……I need to get married. Shinji's going to the States, and I'll be on assignment for awhile in Russia, should only be a few weeks, I'm supposedly up for another promotion, Major Asuka Sohryu Langley does have a nice ring to it don't you think? Wake up soon…….and we'll go find some men together. I love you Misato."

**The following years worth of words spoken to the comatose Misato, sounded something like this for Rei…..**

"Major Katsuragi,……I'm not exactly sure what to say……this is Ayanami Rei, Pilot……former pilot of Unit 00. I don't know how I'm alive, or why I'm alive……but I am……so I'm going to live…or rather learn to live. The Second and Third Child have been very ….helpful so far. I just wanted to come and say……..to come and say………thank you……..for all that you've done for me. I will visit periodically, the doctor informed me that it is helpful to talk to you while your in this condition, since you've helped me in the past, I will help you in any way that I can."

"Major, I've decided to attend medical school. Fuyutsuki-san thinks it's an excellent idea, he is much nicer than Commander Ikari ever was, when he's talking to me I feel like an equal and not an object. It makes me feel even more like a true human. I believe that becoming a doctor is what I want to do, I want to help the people around me. I'm trying to talk less……monotone as Asuka described it, putting more emotion in my voice is hard because I'm just now learning new emotions, ones that I've never felt before…like happiness…and sadness……and anger……and annoyance, I like being able to…..understand how I feel. My appearance is different now too, well my eye color and skin tone is the same, as is my hair color, but now my hair is much longer, about to mid-shoulder, I like it, it makes me feel……more……free. I hope that you wake up soon"

"I'm sure you've heard about Shinji's birthday party, it was…..enjoyable….and different, alcohol makes people do interesting things, things that they would normally not do. Asuka got so inebriated that she kissed me, I was a little surprised, but I was even more surprised because I laughed afterwards…….a lot actually….I guess I had a little too much to drink as well. But it was fun. Wake up soon so that we can all have fun together."

"Shinji told me to call you Misato or Misato-san…I think Misato-san will do for now, I hope you wake up soon so that I can get to know you better as well, and then maybe I will feel comfortable enough to call you Misato. I'm in my third year of medical school now, I've decided to specialize in pediatrics, I find children……funny….I'll come back soon. I'd come back even sooner if you woke up, Shinji, Asuka, and I miss you a great deal. Speaking of Shinji and Asuka, something weird is going on, I think they might have had intercourse, and that might be what is making things at home a bit tense…..I guess we'll find out"

"Hello Misato-san……I'm officially Dr. Ayanami Rei now, I actually work here at the hospital, the other day I had to pull 3 UN toy soldiers out of a boys nose, the things kids do are always very funny. I wonder if I will be able to have children…..I know I have the organs for it…….but I've never……attempted. Anyways, we're all doing good, I hardly see anyone though, we all have somewhat different schedules, Shinji's usually gone for a few weeks and then home for a few weeks, Asuka is gone a lot as well, but not usually for longer than a few days, my schedule is pretty consistent 5 days a week, a very 9 to 5 sort of job. I really do like it though. I feel….as if I am lacking something though……..maybe a relationship. Asuka is gone on a mission, so I thought I'd come talk to you about it, I guess I was hoping you would wake up and tell me what the answer to my question was, ……maybe next time"

"I……..I slept with Shinji last night………I felt….pleased…..but it's not what I was expecting…..I guess I thought that having sex would make me feel complete, and to some degree it did a little bit, but I can't see myself in a serious relationship with Shinji, he's the closest thing I have to a brother……..that's a bit gross….just to clear things up, our DNA is not the same, the Angel in me outweighs the genes of Shinji's mother, so we're not biologically related at all. I think maybe this incident won't hurt our friendship; it didn't when he and Asuka were….involved. I think it will make our friendship stronger. Please wake up soon Misato-san, I could use some…..motherly advice"

"I'm an OBGYN now Misato-san, I liked pediatrics, but I want to be part of bringing a child into the world, it wasn't all that hard to transfer myself, I just had to take a few classes and log some hours in, in the delivery room. I really like the fact that I'm helping to bring the future into this world. I'm 30 years old now Misato-san….I guess we're the same age now. Anyway I'm going on vacation for awhile, I'm traveling around Europe for a few weeks, but I'll be back soon……..I feel…..love for you Misato-san…..your the third person I can say that too, Shinji, Asuka, Fuyutsuki-san, and now you. It's kind of a big step for me, but I know I can trust you with this part of myself. I'll be back soon, I hope you are awake when I get back"

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**Hope you like it, if there's any confusion please let me know.**

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**So Please Review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Gainax owns Eva.**

**Please review.**

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'Where the hell am I?'

"Sir, the patient in stasis is showing increased levels of brain activity"

"My god, this woman has been in stasis for 15 years, she's finally decided to rejoin the world I see…..well let's get her out of there. Nurse, get a hold of the children and tell them to hurry."

The good doctor had been at the hospital as long as Misato had, he was very familiar with all three of Misato's constant visitors, he was glad that their faithfulness would finally be rewarded.

**--At some studio in America….--**

"Alright let's run that again, Jerry gimme a little more of Tom's guitar in my monitor, I can barely hear the damn thing. Ready, One, Two, Th…..'ringringring' shit. Sorry guys, just a sec. Hello? ……….REALLY? Wh…. Yeah I'll be there in 2 hours"

Ikari Shinji was well on his way to finishing his third album when his world got turned completely upside down.

'She's awake….'

"I gotta run guys, I don't know when I'll be back, contact my agent and I'll tell him to give you all of back pay, I don't know if I'm going to finish this album, something important came up." Shinji said, as he walked out the door and into an awaiting limo, he clicked his phone on….

"Hey man, it's me, I want to be in Tokyo-4 in no more than 2 hours, yeah, you heard me. She's awake Johnny, I need to be there, like 20 minutes ago. Alright thanks man I owe ya one"

'…………….she's awake………this is going to be weird…..'

**--At an undisclosed UN shelter in Africa--**

"I want that supply truck unloaded ASAP! Get those women and children into the shelters, I'll deal with these bastards who are responsible for this personally. I want you 4 med-teams to make the rounds on everyone here. Blue team, I want a secure perimeter around the shelte,r keep sharp, we haven't accounted for all of the hostiles. The rest of the supply drops should arrive at 0950, dropping in sectors 5 Zulu and 9 Foxtrot, Red Team I want you to secure all of the drop sites. These bastards have caused enough chaos, I won't have anymore civilians hurt, not on my watch. Move out."

"Major Langley, there's an urgent message coming in from HQ they say it's about some woman……waking up? Ma'am I'm not familiar with this code phrase, do you know anything about it? It's being redirected from some hospital in Tokyo-4"

"Mein Gott, give me that phone soldier. This is Langley, what's the situation?...SHE'S AWAKE!! No, I'll be there, ETA 2 hours and 45 minutes. Langley Out."

"Ma'am is everything alright?"

"Yes…..I think. Lieutenant you're in charge for the remainder of this operation, its cut and dry, all of the specs are in the briefing folder; I've already cleared it with HQ. Do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am"

"Good, I'm taking the FJ-27, that's the fastest thing we've got out here and right now I need fast. Take care Lieutenant I have full confidence in your ability"

"Yes Ma'am I won't let you down"

"I know you won't" Asuka said as she got in a nearby jeep to drive to the air strip.

"Oh and Lieutenant."

"Yes Major?"

"Try not to have too much fun while I'm gone" She said with a light-hearted laugh

"Sure thing chief. No worries." The young lieutenant said with a grin as he watched her drive off in a cloud of dust.

'She's gonna kill herself one day, she drives like a mad woman'

Major Asuka Sohryu Langley's mind was racing almost as fast as the jeep.

'she's awake……I wonder what she'll think of me…..'

**--At a medical development conference in Vienna--**

"I'd like to call Dr. Ayanami Rei to attest to the new development in the field of Obstetrics" The loud monotone voice of the announcer boomed over the conference room.

At 35 years of age, Rei still looked like she was 25, the quiet dignity and calm demeanor remained that same as it always had been. She spoke with absolute authority and clear confidence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have been in this field for merely a fraction of the time most of you have, but in this short amount of time, the field of obstetrics has flourished, I was honored when I was asked to join the review board for this particular project and it is my distinct pleasure to announce that the laboratory trials and the clinical trials for this method are complete, and as the representative of the review board, I now proclaim the brand-new method of Transport-Delivery to be the safest, and most cutting edge delivery style in the world. Allow me to give you the short……"

Rei was interrupted by her assistant who scrambled onto the stage.

"Excuse me Dr. Ayanami you have an urgent message from Tokyo-4"

"What? …….oh no, Misato. I'll take the call."

"Dr. Banks, you're going to have to continue this presentation, excuse me."

Without hesitation Rei walked off of the stage, her assistant following on her heels, once they were back stage, she took the ear piece from her assistant.

"This is Rei…….Oh thank God……no….I can get away….I'll be there in about2 and a half hours. Ok, thank you"

"Is everything ok Dr Ayanami?"

"Yes, Jana, things are going to be just fine, I need to get on the next jet to Japan"

"Ok Doctor, there's a transport pad that will take you directly to the airport right outside the building, I'll call and have your ticket waiting for you at the counter."

"Thanks, I'll call you later to see how the rest of the conference went. I don't think I'll be back in the office for a few weeks, have them send my bags back to the apartment alright? You can have the next few weeks off, maybe you can go on vacation with that man of yours, you deserve it. I'll talk to you later."

Rei said as she waved good bye and walked out the door, turning her mind to the upcoming situation.

'….she's awake………what am I going to say to her?'

--Back in Tokyo-4—

"Well Major Katsuragi, welcome back to the land of the living" The kind doctor said to Misato, who was now out of the Cryostasis chamber and in a normal hospital bed.

"I…..thanks I guess…..why can't I move my legs?"

Cryostasis had been kind to Misato, because she was in stasis she looked literally, exactly the same as she had before she was put into the timeless chamber. Aside from the now dull 'new' scar she had in her back from the, now 18 year old bullet wound.

"Your body will take a little bit longer to wake up than your mind will….or did rather. The fact that you can move you upper body after being out of stasis for only an hour is a miracle unto itself. With physical therapy we have no doubt that you will regain full range of motion in all of your limbs. There have been a lot of changes in the world since you last were awake Major, it will take some time to adjust"

"How……how long have I been ….gone?" Misato scared, and irritated that her body wouldn't do what she wanted it to do.

"20 years"

"What?...What happened? Obviously the human race survived…but…"

"Yes, many people returned from what we now call Third Impact. You are still in Japan, in the city of Tokyo-4, the United Nations is stationed here, Japan, is not really Japan anymore, because this is where Third Impact devastated the most, the Japanese government never fully recovered, so the UN assumed control, which in most people's opinion was and is the best choice. It's a very different world, with a very bright future."

"…..I……what about NERV…and SEELE?"

"They no longer exist, though many of your friends are still around. Speaking of, we've contacted 3 of them, they should be here in an hour or so."

"My …..Shinji and Asuka…and ….Ritsuko?"

"Well your mostly correct, your one-time wards, Ikari Shinji, Major Langley, and Dr.Ayanami, they've been your constant visitors over the years. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you awake. Dr. Akagi, unfortunately never returned from Third Impact"

"They…..oh god…..I……I remember some conversations…….did they talk to me while I was out?"

"Yes, I'd often come in and I'd hear one amusing tale or another about their lives. They're good kids, I guess I've sort of seen them grow up right before my eyes"

"Grow up?...20 years….15…..they're 35……my god……how old am I?"

"Well technically you're still 30……interesting isn't it? You're the youngest now." The doctor said with a chuckle.

"I'd better let you rest, you'll be having visitors, soon. I'm sure they'll talk your ear off. So try and rest a little, your body isn't used to this much activity."

"Yeah…thanks."

Misato could only remember one time when she felt so confused, and small….and alone. That was after Second Impact, now she felt like she was that little girl all over again.

She lay back and stared at the ceiling.

'……..35……' She thought as her mind wandered, trying to catch on to the scattered memories of lost conversations past.

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**Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I'm not getting much in the way of reviews, and this could be a possible stopping point. So unless at least 5 people express that they're actually reading this fic, I think it'd be an alright place to stop.**

**NGE belongs to Gainax.**

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Misato awoke with a start, hearing voices outside of her hospital room. She sat up a little and for the first time, looked out the window at the cityscape.

'It looks…..kind of the same….wait! Was that a hover-car? Those were just barely in development when I was…….awake, I gotta get me one of those.'

She flopped back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

'I hope I can get out of here soon…….I'm sure Shinji will let me stay with him until I'm back on my feet…….won't he? It's been 20 years since I've seen him; 20 years since I've seen anyone…..I hate not knowing…..anything'

The last time she remembered ever being this confused was directly after Second Impact which was approximately 36 years ago,

'God……I hate this ceiling already….'

She turned her head towards the voices in the hall, one voice was the doctor's the other was……….a shaggy brown head of hair came into view….

'Kaji!...'

She listened intently…..hoping…and praying that it was him.

"Doctor……how much have you told her?"

"I've told her she's been asleep for 20 years, I've told her about the UN, and a little about you kids, I thought it best for you to explain, but she did mention that she has subtle memories of one sided conversations, I guess her sub-conscious heard at least some of the things you were saying to her. Go talk to her Ikari-san, she needs a familiar face right about now."

"Yeah……but after 20 years how familiar will my face be?...Thanks doc. Well….here goes nothin'"

The door opened slowly, what Misato saw was definitely not the Shinji-kun she remembered, this was…..

'He still has the same eyes and the same smile……his hair's longer……and he hasn't shaved in a few days…..he's tall…..quite tall……he's got some muscle to him now too……he really has grown up'

Misato sat up from her thoughts, and gave him a smile.

"Hi Shinji-kun! Did ya miss me?" She said in her usual cheeky tone, truly glad to be seeing a somewhat familiar face.

Shinji's eyes lit up and a grin spread across his face.

'She recognizes me!'

He rushed over and sat on the side of her bed, wrapping her in his arms.

'She's really awake!'

'He's definitely toned.'

"It's good to see you kid…..well I guess your no kid anymore……your older than me even, a fact which I'm still trying to get my head around"

He pulled back from the embrace with a laugh

"I thought you'd be happy that you hadn't aged a bit, most women would kill for that. Haha. It's really good to see you, I've missed you so much."

"Hmmm maybe I should market this ageless sleep. Haha. You're the best thing I've seen in 20 years, you've definitely grown to be a VERY handsome man"

Shinji blushed and laughed to cover up his embarrassment.

"You're just as beautiful as the first day I met you"

The door slammed open.

"Geez Baka, she hasn't even been awake 3 hours and you're already hitting on her, typical Baka Shinji. Misato!!! You look great! About time you woke up!"

Asuka stormed in the room, still clad in her UN khaki's.

"Asuka! You...your a major! Congratulations, your hair looks great……both of you have grown into beautiful people. So, Asuka, you're working for the UN, and…Shinji…what are you doing?"

"I'm a musician Misato, the cello remember? I was working on my third album when you woke up."

"Yeah if you can call what you do music, your second album was crap compared to your first one"

"Well I guess a lot of people liked it since it was number one for awhile, maybe you just have crappy taste in music"

'Shinji stands up for himself now!...and did Asuka just….sort of…complement him? Man I HAVE missed a lot, but they still bicker just like the old days'

"I'm sure they're both great albums Shinji, I'll pick them up once I get out of here. Speaking of, you wanna help your old guardian out until I'm back on my feet? I don't know if my bank accounts have been frozen, or liquidated or what?"

"No everything is the same financially speaking, I made sure that it would all be there for when you woke up, the UN has been very helpful, especially after Asuka moved up in the ranks.

"Yeah, it was no big, you're still a big hero in their eyes 'The Major who saved the First Child who saved the world' is what you're known as."

"Huh, The UN giving me some credit, feels nice for a change. But I'm still gonna need some help getting around, the doc says I'll be needing physical therapy until my legs decide to regain consciousness. Shouldn't be in your hair any longer than a month though"

"Don't be ridiculous Misato, of course you can stay with us, you can stay with us as long as you want." Shinji said as he squeezed her hand gently.

"Us? Are you two….oh my god I totally knew it was going to happen eventually"

"Eww…nothing like that, geez Misato you and your hentai thoughts sure haven't changed. I would never go for a guy with such horrible fashion sense, really Shinji, solid black shirt and jeans? Please can you get any grungier? and you need to shave for god sake you look like a hobo. Anyway, me and Shinji and Rei are house-mates, I'm only at the house occasionally, since I'm usually out on missions, but Rei and Shinji are usually there, there's 4 bedrooms so you can have your own. Speaking of Rei…….she should be here by now…"

As if on cue there was a soft knock on the door.

"That must be on in Rei!" Shinji called out.

Rei walked in slowly, visually assessing the situation. She walked tentatively over to Misato's bedside.

"Hi Misato-san, it's good to see you awake" Rei said with a smile, which threw Misato completely off guard, she'd never seen Rei smile before…ever…and now she was doing it like she'd been smiling her entire li…….oh yeah…20years.

"You too Rei, judging by the white coat, I'm guessing your some sort of doctor? Seems like you've been doing well for yourself, I'm glad." Misato said, truly happy that Rei had seemed to find her own.

"Yeah, I'm an OBGYN, I really enjoy it…..I was actually a pediatrician first….but I decided to change specialties about 5 years ago"

"Our Rei's made a real name for herself, completing some research on a new way to give birth using teleportation"

"Teleportation.. really? I remember Ritsuko was ……I heard she never came back…" Misato said her sadness evident in her voice.

"No, she didn't…….her and my father were the only ones out of all of us who didn't return. But everyone else did, I'm sure they'll be excited to see you!"

"Yeah, especially Hyuuga-san….haha. ..I guess he's too old for you now…..he'll be 50 this October. Hahaha. Hikari married Touji about 15 years ago, they've got 4 kids, and Ibuki-san and Aoba-san got married about 13 years ago, and they've got 2 kids. All these kids running around calling me Asuka-baachan has been driving me crazy."

"Wow….they have kids……wow. What about Commander Fuyutsuki?"

"Oh well…..he was around for along time, he kinda took us under his wing, but he passed away 3 years ago. We all were pretty close to him, but it was his time to go." Shinji said, as he remembered the father-like Fuyutsuki-san

"I ….I see…..I'm sorry for your loss….."

"We were as well……and on another sad note…Shinji weren't you just telling me that, that one beer company that Misato-san liked so much had gone out of business?" Rei said, throwing Shinji a sly wink.

"What?...oh..Oh yeah!!! Sorry Misato, no more Yebisu…owowmisato!myhand!"

"NO MORE YEBISU!!!!"

"Oh relax, the dummkopfs were just kidding, Yebisu is fine, they actually have come out with several new kinds now. I'm sure you won't hesitate in trying all of them." Asuka said while rolling her eyes, trying to hide the laughter that was about to burst out of her.

"Rei…..told a joke? Wow……I really have missed a lot"

Shinji clenched and unclenched his nearly crushed hand.

"Yeah she's gotten to be a regular jokester. Right Rei?" He said with a grin.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Third Child" Rei said with a serious face……….trying to hold in her own laughter, but she failed miserably.

Laughter echoed throughout the room and into the hall. The good doctor couldn't help but smile at what he heard.

"There's no better sound than the laughter of a reunited family"

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**Like I said, if at least 5 people are reading this, let me know and I can continue.**

**Thanks to the folks who have reviewed so far.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to continue on with this story, but in order to continue, please take note and take part in the vote at the bottom of this page! **

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"AHHHHHHHHHH" The sound of satisfaction echoed in the apartment.

"Yebisu sure knew what they were doing when they made this new blend" Misato said as she slammed the can on the table with a resounding clang.

It had been 3 months since Misato was released from the hospital, 2 months since she regained full use of her legs, and 3 days since she started her new job at the UN as Major Katsuragi, Chief Operational Officer of Tokyo-4.

Life was good, lonely in an odd sense, especially since all of her old friends were……well….old. Not that she didn't love living with her former wards, but they were often gone, Asuka on some mission, Shinji off and on was at the studio in America, and Rei was in the final stages of presenting the new development in labor and delivery.

Sure she'd tried to re-connect with her former associates from NERV, but most of them were married, had kids, and were living their life. She missed the companionship…..she missed Kaji. She was told that since he was presumed dead, and most likely was dead before Third Impact he wouldn't return.

She'd gotten used to the new inventions, the new developments, the new…..everything. It seemed that the technological world had taken leaps and bounds in the last 10 years or so.

She'd gotten herself a brand-new hover-car, she missed her Renault though. She was happy with her new life, but memories from the past would often haunt her sleep.

"I'm back!" Shinji's voice rang out from the hall.

"Hey! How'd everything go at the studio?" She asked as she watched him put his cello in the closet and walk over to the fridge to get a drink.

"Same old same old, studio wants me to go on tour, I say no, they bitch, I tell them to take it or I'll leave 'em, they grovel and then finally concede. Damn Misato did you drink all of my Premium? I thought you didn't even like that kind?"

"Well….I was out of my kind and yours was just sitting there all lonely and un-opened. Besides your beer tastes kinda like coffee so I can completely justify drinking it before noon" She said with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah whatever, have you heard anything form Asuka or Rei?"

"Nope, Asuka's somewhere classified and won't be back till the end of the month, but Rei should be home today, she called earlier and said that everything went well at her meeting and that she'd be back in time for dinner."

"Mmmkay. I'm not cooking though, it's your turn. And don't forget that each food tablet takes 3 cups of water, last time that steak was pretty dry"

"Hey food tablets are new to me remember? At least I can kinda cook now. Whoever invented those things is a genius"

"Yeah and a life saver."

"Whatever. Oh there's a message on the machine for you from a few of your giiiiiiiirlfriends" Misato loved to tease Shinji about his, as he put them, ''money grubbing sluts'.

"Gah I'm sick and tired of being hounded like this, the studio think that me being in a relationship would boost my sales so they keep giving these random girls my number. I'm getting pretty damn sick of it, but if I call them on it they'd just deny it."

"Poor lady's man Shinji, how come you don't date anyway?"

"I dunno, I just……….I just haven't found the right girl"

"Or maybe she's been right under your nose this entire time, but you're just too blind to see it"

Misato had been told about Shinji's past relationships with Asuka and Rei, they were the ones that told her actually. Drunken girl's nights were always quite informative.

"Whatever Misato, you're seeing things that aren't there."

"Well you better get a move on the whole marriage thing, we're both getting old, and I want some grandkids…….kinda."

"Psh, what you don't see enough kids around? We just went and saw Touji and his family last week."

"Yeah……..but I'm sure it's different when they're your own kids…..or grandkids or whatever."

"What about you? Any…uh…guys in your life? Maybe someone from work?" Shinji had been noticing lately that Misato would get this far-off look in her eyes when ever she saw a happy couple. It was really obvious that she was in need of some sort of relationship.

"No, no one at work, they're all either too old or too young. 30 is an awkward age I guess. I think I'm gonna go for a drive. I'll be back in time to fix dinner" With that Misato walked out of the door, thoughtful loneliness reverberated around her.

'I'm no good at this girl relationship talk thing, I'll have to talk to Rei and Asuka about it, she needs someone. She has us but….I guess it's sort of different. We'll think of something to cheer her up. It's not healthy for her to be like that.'

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**- IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE -**

**I know it was a short chapter but, I need some reader input. Relationally speaking. It's up to you! So place your votes now!!**

**Who do you want to be 'in a relationship'?**

**Here's some possible pairings for Misato and Shinji because they are the main characters in this fic.**

**Misato's possible relationships with:**

**Shinji**

**Kensuke**

**Makoto Hyuga (He's always seemed a lot younger than the other staff so let's just say he's 40 in this fic)**

**Any other suggestions? (NOTE: No resurrected Kaji, or Kaji's twin or whatever.)**

**Shinji's possible relationships with:**

**Misato**

**Asuka**

**Rei**

**Any other suggestions?**

**Also note: I don't write slash…..I just don't really know how I guess.**

**So write your suggestion in a review and the couple with the highest amount of votes wins.**


	6. Chapter 6

**NGE belongs to Gainax, but if they botch the new NGE projects they're coming out with, I'm taking over. **

**Sorry it took so long for the new chapter, my uploading page was having issues. **

**Thanks to all of my reviewers. **

**Please enjoy and review **

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"I AM SO BORED" Asuka yawned out as she lay on the couch.

She'd been off duty for 2 weeks now, following a small run in with a drug needle, specifically a used drug needle that just so happened to be in the lining of and HIV-positive druggie's coat that she was patting down. She still had another 2 weeks until the tests came back. She wasn't really worried about the results, since HIV was now curable. The doctors thought it unwise to give her the medicine ahead of time due to its severe side effects, so she just had to wait it out. Asuka HATED waiting.

Asuka sat up on the couch with her legs crossed, one hand rubbing her chin, in deep thought.

'It's been ….what? 4 months since Misato woke up…..she's been moping for the last 2. I hate mopers. Hmm I wonder why she's moping…….she's got a job, she's got that super fast car that she's always wanted, she's got to think of it she hasn't really dated anyone since she's woken up. I wonder if she's still mourning for Kaji-san?...I hope not….I know that she really loved him, but…..technically it's been 20 years, maybe I could get her a date with someone from my unit……mmmm no she's too good for all those slobs. Who else? The only single guys that I know and Misato know are…Kensuke…..cringe he's not nearly as nerdy as he used to be, but still…ugh. The other one is the Baka…..hmmmmmm……a little weird…but it could work. ……..I need to talk to Rei, we've got some scheming to do….ooooh this is gonna be fun!'

Asuka picked up the phone and dialed Rei's office number.

"You've reached the private office of Dr. Rei Ayanami, please leave your name, number and a brief message after the beep" beep

"REI I KNOW YOUR THERE PICK UP!"

Rei groaned, she was trying to catch a small nap, she'd been up since 2am and since then she'd been on her feet non-stop, 2 transport-deliveries and a hysterectomy later, she'd finally caught a minute to herself, only to be interrupted by the one and only Sohryu.

She got up from the couch in her office and answered the phone.

"Hello Asuka" She answered in a tired voice.

"Wake up sleepy head, I've got an idea!"

"What? Like that one time when we we're 22 and you decided that we could install a new set of drawers in the closet? We all know how that turned out, no more building…anything."

"Nonono nothing like that. I want Misato to date."

"Don't we all? She's been moping for awhile now, she's driving me nuts. Who do you want her to date, there's this guys I work with who….""NO! We know that all of the guys that work in your department are either gay or are hentais, so no one from your creepy work. I'm thinking of someone she already knows"

"The only singly men we know are Kensuke….and that's just weird…Misato and Kensuke. …..hahahahahahahaha.ahem. The other is….Shinji…hmmmmm…..I see where your going with this. But how are we going to get them together? Yeah, they're the same age now…..but they're still probably going to think it's kinda weird, I mean, she WAS his GUARDIAN. Don't you think things would be awkward?" Rei's mind was going a mile a minute.

'Would it work? It'd be great if it did, two of my favorite people in the world finding love in each other's arms……god Rei you've got to stop reading those romance novels' The good doctor thought to herself as she propped her feet up on her desk.

"Well it might be at first, but come on, you and I both know that Shinji and Misato are good friends, and that's a definite plus. I know that during Misato's coma, things were a bit difficult for me and you, but for Shinji, she was everything. He wouldn't even go on tour with his band because it would keep him away from Misato for too long. I mean I'm not saying that we didn't care, but Shinji…..he went above and beyond ya know? He genuinely cares for her, and that's also a plus. They'd have to be setup, lord knows they won't get together of their own accord. Hmmm….I'm thinking blind date."

"Your right, Shinji went on with his life for the most part, but Misato was always his anchor, not in a bad way, but in a cute, devoted way. A blind date sounds like the perfect idea……"

**- A few days later in a dimly lit café- **

'Asuka and Rei better not have chosen some bimbo to set me up with, maybe the studio got to them too….naaaw they wouldn't do that to me….I think Oh well guess I'll just have to suffer through this date and then I'll just dump whoever it is right afterwards'

Shinji was slouching in his seat, Asuka had told him to hide his face behind the book she had given him, and that the girl would know it was him by the title of the book and how he responded when she asked him a question.

The book, was _House of Leaves _ by Mark Z. Danielewski, an odd book to say the least, frightening even, Asuka had given it to him the day before and he hadn't been able to put it down, the structure and format of it was highly unconventional, but then again when had anything in Shinji's life been, conventional.

He paused for a moment and looked around the small café, it was one of his favorite places, they always played classical music, it wasn't too loud, and it wasn't too quiet, it was the perfect place to go on a first date, an easy place to have conversation in.

He had his elbows on the table and the book in front of his face, Asuka insisted he wear something a little nicer than what he usually did, he opted for a green button down dress shirt, with his signature black t-shirt and jeans, he had rolled the sleeves of the shirt up to just below the elbow since it was a warm spring day.

'Where the hell is this woman?'

**- Outside of that same café - **

'What the hell am I doing? I haven't been on a date in ….20 years. Why am I so nervous? It's not like I've never been on a blind date before. I trust Asuka and Rei……mostly. Alright Misato-girl you can do this, you look HOT!'

Misato was leaning against the outer café wall, trying to give herself a little pep talk. She knew she looked good, in her tan jacket, white blouse and jeans. She'd never been one to be self-conscious of her looks, and she wasn't about to start now. It's just that…….she was pretty nervous about the whole thing, from the moment the girls sprung it on her she'd been nervous. She knew that it'd be a good thing for her to get out and date a bit; maybe she'd actually find a good guy and settle down.

She'd finally accepted the fact that Kaji was never coming back, and of course it still hurt, and of course she'd always love him, but Kaji had told her to 'move on and not to hesitate', it was easy for him to say, he was….dead. She had hesitated, but she decided that she WOULD start anew.

She stepped away from the wall, checked her hair in a nearby window, took a deep breath and entered the café

'House of Leaves, House of Leaves, House ofOh there he is, hmm his arms are nice and toned, let's see what he looks like behind that book'

She walked over and stopped behind the chair that was setup across from him.

'Here goes nothin' '

"I've heard Danielewski novels are difficult to follow" A clearly womanly voice rang out, jolting Shinji from his reading. He steadied and kept the book in front of his face

"It depends on how you look at things" And with that he plastered his 'charm the pants off any lady' smile on and slowly took the book away from his face.

'Oh shit'

"Shinji!""Misato!"

Talk about awkward.

'What the hell were Asuka and Rei thinking!' They both thought.

And then they recalled the threat that Asuka had made to each individually.

"No matter who it is, you'd better ACTUALLY try and treat it like a date, because it is. I mean it! Don't try and ditch out or anything or I'll smack you clear into the middle of next week"

Misato and Shinji both cringed at the memory.

"Well…I guess you'd better sit then" Shinji said, trying to keep his cool.

"Yeah…." Misato sat down across from him.

"This is going to be weird…" Shinji said as he ran his hand through his medium length hair. Making it look even messier, to which Misato thought 'Has he always been this good looking?'

"Yeah, but I told Asuka and Rei I'd give it a try no matter who it was, and we're both adults now, so it shouldn't be so weird….." Misato said with a smile.

'I'm actually kinda relieved that it's him, at least we know that we can have a good conversation together'

"That's what I told her too, after she got me in a head-lock" Shinji said with a gentle laugh "Besides, you did tell me awhile back that we'd 'do the rest later'." Shinji grinned at her, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Oh psssh you remember that? That was ages ago….." She recalled that chaotic night.

"Well I guess I'll have to work my way up to that" He said cheekily

"Obviously Asuka and Rei saw something between us, and thought we'd make a good couple…..I'm not saying that it won't be weird, and I'm not saying that I won't be difficult at times, but I'm willing to try…..if you are" Shinji said as he stared at his clasped hands that were resting on the table.

'Could this possibly work? No doubt I think she's really attractive, and we're already pretty much best friends…..so why not?'

"I……yeah. I'd like to try. I'm not promising anything, I think we both still have a lot of issues to work out, but maybe it would be easier….if we had each other to get through the rough times with" Misato said as she gently placed her hand on top of his larger, calloused hands.

They smiled at each other, and the others around them smiled, knowing that they were witness to something new and beautiful.

Shinji stood up and took Misato with him.

"Let's go for a walk, and we can talk….and…stuff" He said with a blush at his returned awkwardness.

'Damn if she already makes me blush like I did 20 years ago, imagine what'll happen if this actually works out in the long run'

"That sounds great" Misato said shyly.

'Shyly?? What the hell I haven't been shy in ages, he's already making me weak at the knees and we haven't even kissed yet…..technically'

The two walked out on to the street, his fingers gently intertwined with hers, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

'This is…..nice' They both thought as the sunlight lay warmly on their backs as they walked aimlessly along the streets, talking about nothing in particular, but already enjoying this new found support that both had been lacking in their lives.

**- Across the street, inside a nearby store – **

"See Wondergirl! I told you this'd work!" Asuka said, her UN issue binoculars pointed towards the new couple

"Asuka it's my turn!! I want to see!!" Rei said as she snatched the binoculars from Asuka and pointed them at Shinji and Misato, focusing on their intertwined hands.

"Aww they're already holding hands and going on walks, just like an old married couple" Rei said excitedly.

"Well I'd say we did a hell of a good job matchmaking, now we've got to go find us some men, or we could go drink our loveless night away."

"I vote for option number 2"

"Alright let's go get drunk and bitch about how we don't have anyone"

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**So what'd you think? The M/S pairing won unanimously. Woohoo! **

**This story is M/S focused, but maybe eventually I'll make separate fics for Rei and Asuka's love lives. But not for awhile. **

**_House of Leaves_ is an excellent book, but it is very difficult to read because of the chaotic format, but check it out at your local book store! **

**Please review and tell me what you think! **


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